Pope John Paul hails Egypt's role in peacemaking

Pope John Paul II of the Vatican commended the role of Egypt in the Mideast peace process, terming it as fundamental and helps bring closer views of the parties concerned.

The Pope, while receiving the credentials of the new Egyptian Ambassador to the Vatican Farouq Hassan Ra'afat, stressed the need to start a cultural and religious dialogue between Muslims and Christians.

He noted that the peace march is facing difficult problems, citing the issue of Jerusalem, the stumbling block in the peace drive, the BBC reported Sunday.

He urged Muslims and Christians in the region to mobilize efforts to overcome impediments obstructing negotiations.

He voiced the Vatican's commitment to the status of Jerusalem as a sacred city for the three monotheistic religions and insistence to place it under an international umbrella one way or the other.